About two years ago, I tried Aquarian Texture Coated batter heads on my Mapex kit. Within days the coating was flying off the head (I'd seen Remo coating wear out fast, but never fly off), so I began using Evans heads ever since. My Mapex kit last had EC2 over g1 clear (heard lots of good reviews) but the had too much plastic attack and too little sustain for my liking, but were plenty durable. Now, I thought I would give Aquarian another chance, so I ordered all Texture Coated heads. The logo had changed and now they featured Z100 coating, which is not flying off. The problem is that these heads are VERY dead sounding and often resemble they sound of paper. This is curious considering they are wide open heads and very much in tune. The toms are usuable, as is the snare though, but the real problem is the bass heads. I had an EMAD2 over EQ1 coated--that is 2 ply muffled head over a single ply coated head with vents and a ring. The drum had a nice boom, but again had too much plastic attack for my interests. So...I put the Aquarian Texture Coated heads (22") on there. These are wide open heads with no muffling whatsoever and they sound like paper no matter how high I tune them. The pitch resemble an 18" marching bass but there is still no sustain from wide open heads and drum!!!! After this second round of terrible products, I will never buy Aquarian heads again. Sorry Roy Burns....

It's like if I bought some clear Remo Diplomats for my drums and I was beating them like a gorilla and they just happen to break, I'm not gonna say all Remos suck because of one head I tried broke.

What he says and... my son has one of these heads on his snare and it's not dead at all. It actually has a moongel on it to tame it down a little. This is also the "newer head" you are talking about. I was a little concerned about the coating issue but after 2 weekes, the head looks the same as it did the day it was put on. Maybe it's the way you are tuning them.

First of all, the heads are defective. I can't even use them, they have no sound and yet they are wide open heads. This is the second order from them and they even changed factories in the process. If you broke heads yourself, that is not the companies fault, but yours. The heads I had years ago sounded fine, they just shed their coating after only a few days. I am a jazz and classical percussionist, so I dont "play like a gorilla" either.

Have you taken them back to where you go them? Better yet... do that if you haven't and go one step further an email Aquarian and tell them what happened. You may get something for your troubles. In fact, I'd almost bet you will because that isn't right and Aquarian always makes good on their mistakes. I once had a bad head and just for the hell of it, I emailed Aquarian. In an hour after I sent the email, I got a reply asking me to call a number that they gave me. I did and Roy Burns answered the phone. I told him about the head and the problem. He asked where I got it and a few questions about my drums. After that, he asked me for a mailing address and said he would send me a new head. A few days later I had the new head and a video about the Aquarian company.. This was for one head. He didn't ask for proof of purchase and he didn't give me a hard time. So if you got a whole set of heads that you think are defective, I'm sure they will do something to make you happy.

About two years ago, I tried Aquarian Texture Coated batter heads on my Mapex kit. Within days the coating was flying off the head (I'd seen Remo coating wear out fast, but never fly off), so I began using Evans heads ever since. My Mapex kit last had EC2 over g1 clear (heard lots of good reviews) but the had too much plastic attack and too little sustain for my liking, but were plenty durable. Now, I thought I would give Aquarian another chance, so I ordered all Texture Coated heads. The logo had changed and now they featured Z100 coating, which is not flying off. The problem is that these heads are VERY dead sounding and often resemble they sound of paper. This is curious considering they are wide open heads and very much in tune. The toms are usuable, as is the snare though, but the real problem is the bass heads. I had an EMAD2 over EQ1 coated--that is 2 ply muffled head over a single ply coated head with vents and a ring. The drum had a nice boom, but again had too much plastic attack for my interests. So...I put the Aquarian Texture Coated heads (22") on there. These are wide open heads with no muffling whatsoever and they sound like paper no matter how high I tune them. The pitch resemble an 18" marching bass but there is still no sustain from wide open heads and drum!!!! After this second round of terrible products, I will never buy Aquarian heads again. Sorry Roy Burns....

The issue seems to be more about your selection and expectations. Are you sure you are buying the right heads for the sound you're trying to achieve? If all the heads are sounding bad, could it be youe edges? your drums?

ALL companies can have bad batches from time to time, I have had it with all the 3 majors. I think you'll find that Aquaraians service standards are second-to-none and contrary to what you may think, Im certain they WANT to know when they have customers with quality concerns over their products.

Dont tar them all with the same brush. Ive had the odd bad skin aswell, but long-term, Im getting better use out of my Aquarians than I have had from any of the others.

I'm going to send them a mail I suppose, even though I'm not convinced I actually want another Aquarian head as a replacement. If it turns out that all 22" Texture Coated heads sound like paper and don't actually resonate then I'll be looking at Remo Coated Ambassadors or G1s again.

Man, how long your new heads are on the drums ? What I want to point out is that Aquarian heads are stiff and focused at first because of two things, the mylar is firmly crimped and glued to the Safe-T lock system and second the coating is little bit thicker and dense compared to Evans or Remo hence their toughnest. Aquarian heads need some good pounding to begin to sound at its fuellest, talking about days and even weeks, but the best part is when they begin to sound best they will keep that beautiful tone for months or even years. Believe me ;-)

Apart from bass drum heads--no solution there--the next time you want to try some heads of unknown sound, why not buy one of each of the candidates for just one drum, say, a 12" tom? Try them out one after the other, you'll get a pretty good idea of what a set of them sounds like without blowing a bunch of money.

Maybe mind_drummer has a point; all heads need some break-in, perhaps Aquarians need more. Their film seems to be quite different than Evans' or Remo's. To my ear it's softer and duller-sounding, but hey.

Apart from bass drum heads--no solution there--the next time you want to try some heads of unknown sound, why not buy one of each of the candidates for just one drum, say, a 12" tom? Try them out one after the other, you'll get a pretty good idea of what a set of them sounds like without blowing a bunch of money.

Maybe mind_drummer has a point; all heads need some break-in, perhaps Aquarians need more. Their film seems to be quite different than Evans' or Remo's. To my ear it's softer and duller-sounding, but hey.

Trkdrmr's right, they offer softer, duller, and more focused tones. Especially thicker models like the performance II's, Superkicks, and Hi-energy snare heads. To me those qualities make them more applicable to the studio over live sound. I doubt that i will ever buy acquarian again either after i tried Evans. Their reverse dot snare head has sooo much more tone than the high-energy, and the tuning range is significantly better to my ears.

I'm going to send them a mail I suppose, even though I'm not convinced I actually want another Aquarian head as a replacement. If it turns out that all 22" Texture Coated heads sound like paper and don't actually resonate then I'll be looking at Remo Coated Ambassadors or G1s again.

Give Roy a call. You'll find him to be one of the nicest guys around. Tell him what's going on.

__________________Max Roach did it, Elvin Jones did it, but Roy Haynes didit and didit and didit.

Trkdrmr's right, they offer softer, duller, and more focused tones. Especially thicker models like the performance II's, Superkicks, and Hi-energy snare heads. To me those qualities make them more applicable to the studio over live sound. I doubt that i will ever buy acquarian again either after i tried Evans. Their reverse dot snare head has sooo much more tone than the high-energy, and the tuning range is significantly better to my ears.

When I read something like that I'm telling myself did not tried Modern Vintage head thin or medium weight because those head open up the drum to it's max.

I run texture coated on some of my toms and those has a very tasteful tone & resonance and if it wasn't that I'm into coated head, I'd run classic clear as batter all over the kit (maybe I'd go with super-2 on floor toms).

I think some people haven't been reading along. The problem was that I bought an entire batch of Aquarian Texture Coated heads (10,12,14,16,22,14) for tops and bottoms of toms and bass. The toms are fine, but the 22" heads do not tune up at all. No matter how tight they get, they simply do not sound like drumheads at all. I've heard of similar issues with Remo heads, but I suppose it's possible for everyone. I put the EMAD2 and EQ1 back on, as the Aquarians are unusable, and hopefully this weekend I'll be able to contact Aquarian and get some more.

I think some people haven't been reading along. The problem was that I bought an entire batch of Aquarian Texture Coated heads (10,12,14,16,22,14) for tops and bottoms of toms and bass. The toms are fine, but the 22" heads do not tune up at all. No matter how tight they get, they simply do not sound like drumheads at all. I've heard of similar issues with Remo heads, but I suppose it's possible for everyone. I put the EMAD2 and EQ1 back on, as the Aquarians are unusable, and hopefully this weekend I'll be able to contact Aquarian and get some more.

Im gona have to agree. The same thing happened to me with a few remo heads, so i bought some other ones. Now my set is made up of all kinds of different heads. a few tom heads my 12" and 13" toms have the same heads but the rest are different. kinda gives it a different sound so its really varied in how i can tune the whole kit to sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LM201

Don't judge the whole company because of one kind of head you used...

It's like if I bought some clear Remo Diplomats for my drums and I was beating them like a gorilla and they just happen to break, I'm not gonna say all Remos suck because of one head I tried broke.

I think some people haven't been reading along. The problem was that I bought an entire batch of Aquarian Texture Coated heads (10,12,14,16,22,14) for tops and bottoms of toms and bass. The toms are fine, but the 22" heads do not tune up at all. No matter how tight they get, they simply do not sound like drumheads at all. I've heard of similar issues with Remo heads, but I suppose it's possible for everyone. I put the EMAD2 and EQ1 back on, as the Aquarians are unusable, and hopefully this weekend I'll be able to contact Aquarian and get some more.

Hey .....again.....

WHAT ARE YOUR RESONANT HEADS ?!? Have you messed with those too?! It can make ALL of the difference in the world!

Well more trouble from those Aquarian heads again. In addition to just overall nastiness, the head I had on the snare just split the other day. I haven't been using that snare much and there is no signs of wear on the head at all. No dents, just stick marks, and plenty of that thick coating all around. The head wasn't too loose and it wasn't tight, just in the middle. I was just practicing some single stroke rolls when ZIP there it went. It was odd since I was just commenting on how lifeless it sounded compared to the Evans G1 on my Ludwig snare and new Fiberskyn on my Slingerland. I took a photo too.
From now on I buy Remo heads (nothing wrong with Evans, but I don't like their sound choices).

Nothing wrong with good old coated ambassadors. I use Remo on all my drums except I do like the EMAD single ply on the bass. But with that being said the clear Remo PS3 is a great head as well and sounds great on my Yamaha Absolute maple bass drum.

I have been a long time Aquarian fan as some may know. I reccomend them quite often. Today I tried their Super 2's. Right off the bat, I didn't like them. I got them to sound ok but it took too damn long and the way I got them like I said, sounds good but it really isn't what I'm after. I like them low. If I tune low with theses, they are very flappy sounding and they wrinkle up. I'd say I got them medium tight now. They are loud and open but... I'll deal with them. I can't afford to get something else right now.

Another interesting this is the fact that a few weeks ago I put a new Hi - Energy head on my snare. I have been using this head since it came out. Never. Never a problem. This one on the other hand was hard to get in tune. It was hard to get it where I wanted it. It's ok but just like the Super 2's... it's not where I want it.

So... I don't know... A bad batch from Aquarian ??? Maybe these heads came from the new plant in Mexico and they just haven't got things right yet. Maybe the Super 2's aren't for me and nothing is wrong with them. The snare head issue was definitly an issue with the head tho.

It's strange.. I have never had issue tuning an Aquarian head. Who knows.. I know it's not the drums. I think for my next head buy I'm going back to clear Emperors or maybe try something from Evans. Remo and evans are much easier to come by anyway..

I would give the Evans another go. The heads you selected were muffled (dead, if you ask me) by nature. The EMAD2 had two plies, which I never like on a kick, and the EC2s had that ring on them. I would try the normal EMAD and G1s or G2s on your toms.

__________________
Remo, Tama, Ludwig, and Zildjian?
Doesn't get much better than that...

I would give the Evans another go. The heads you selected were muffled (dead, if you ask me) by nature. The EMAD2 had two plies, which I never like on a kick, and the EC2s had that ring on them. I would try the normal EMAD and G1s or G2s on your toms.

Super 2's muffled ? No they aren't but the Performance 2's I was using are. I like them on big drums 14, 16 & 18. I changed them out cuz they are on the spent side after a year. I probably will try that Evans combo sometime down the line. I just played for an hour on the Super 2's. Ehhh.. they actually sounded better tonight than they did earlier. I think my ears were a bit flat from all the messin around I did earlier today. They are ok but I don't see anthing super about them. I found that I really had to crank up the bottom heads a lot more than I normally would. So my bottom heads are tight and the tops are medium tight. That's as good as it gets...

Evans EC2s are pretty dead, probably sound fine on large drums though. The G1s are the only heads I like from Evans though. Their coating tends to dry out their sound though and it's smooth from the beginning. The only heads I'll be buying will be Remo Ambassadors, Fiberskyns, maybe Powerstroke for the bass, and possibly something like the Suede heads or CS. Of course it costs well over $100 to outfit a kit with new heads... My Gretsch needs new batters and my Mapex needs new resos (not that it can help those Aquarian batters)

Well more trouble from those Aquarian heads again. In addition to just overall nastiness, the head I had on the snare just split the other day.

No offense, but in my experience that looks like a hellaciously out of tune drum right there. Anytime I've seen a split like that (and I've seen them with *every* manufacturer's heads, not just Aquarian), it has happened between two lugs that were tuned way, way higher than the surrounding lugs. I'm sure you're a fine drum tuner and all that, but that's how it happens.

That said, I have seen it more often with Aquarians because their collar is much stiffer and less forgiving than the likes of Evans or Remo. The same collar that makes them much easier to tune properly also makes them more prone to splitting on a poorly-tuned drum. It both giveth and taketh away.

As for the "paper" sound of your TC head on the bass drum, I'm not surprised by that at all. That'd be like using an unmuffled Ambassador as a batter head on the bass drum. Not something I've ever really done or seen done, but I guess it's possible. That's an awfully thin mylar on an awfully big drum under an awful lot of pressure. Try a head specifically designed for bass drums. You'll get a much deeper, fuller sound out of a Superkick III without the plastic-y attack.

All that said, that's not really the issue. While they may not be for you, it's not really fair to blame Aquarian for not getting the sound you want out of a head that, at least in my opinion, is not ideally suited for your application, or for a tuning problem. I don't know why you'd want to come out with both barrels blazing against a company on a public forum without even contacting them to see if there is some issue going on that they could help you with. I know that Roy or Ron or Chris Brady would be more than happy to talk with you and help you figure out which of their products would have the best chance of getting you the sound you're looking for. They're good people who make good products and, maybe most importantly, who stand behind them and are there for their customers.

Yep. It's about $120 just for 3 toms top and bottom no matter which brand.. Remo is a little cheaper. I like Aquarians but I don't like the fact that it's easier to pull a tooth than it is to get their heads. The stores around me just don't stock them and an order for them takes well over a month. Not good if you want something in a hurry. My local stores stock just about everything from Remo and Evans.

No offense, but in my experience that looks like a hellaciously out of tune drum right there. Anytime I've seen a split like that (and I've seen them with *every* manufacturer's heads, not just Aquarian), it has happened between two lugs that were tuned way, way higher than the surrounding lugs. I'm sure you're a fine drum tuner and all that, but that's how it happens.--Jim.

Maybe but maybe not. Aquarian has had ussies with those heads before. There coating does tend to fly off leaving a nice big clear spot but I don't really hold that against any compnay I mean after all, the coating is sprayed on and your hitting it with a stick so yeah, it's gonna come off but it isn't chip or flake resistant like they claim. I have tried their coated Studio X heads and their Texture Coated on a snare and while they sounded nice, the coating was flying all over the place. I'm not coated head fan to begin with. I just thought I'd give em a shot and that's what happened.

Well more trouble from those Aquarian heads again. In addition to just overall nastiness, the head I had on the snare just split the other day. I haven't been using that snare much and there is no signs of wear on the head at all. No dents, just stick marks, and plenty of that thick coating all around. The head wasn't too loose and it wasn't tight, just in the middle. I was just practicing some single stroke rolls when ZIP there it went. It was odd since I was just commenting on how lifeless it sounded compared to the Evans G1 on my Ludwig snare and new Fiberskyn on my Slingerland. I took a photo too.
From now on I buy Remo heads (nothing wrong with Evans, but I don't like their sound choices).

Ok is it wrote Z100 in the other side of the logo ? I split an head just like that and called Aquarian and received two new heads (Z100) for compensation and no prob. with both yet.

I snapped a Jack DeJohnette Aquarian head with brushes!! and it was brand new. I went back for more, and keep using them, as it was a bad batch. Life is like that, you get some crap ones. I have texture coated on my kit, and am happy with the warm boing they make. Call them, I wish I did.

I snapped a Jack DeJohnette Aquarian head with brushes!! and it was brand new. I went back for more, and keep using them, as it was a bad batch. Life is like that, you get some crap ones. I have texture coated on my kit, and am happy with the warm boing they make. Call them, I wish I did.

I called them when I got a bad head once. I talked to Roy Burns and he was great. He sent me a new head.

Super 2's muffled ? No they aren't but the Performance 2's I was using are. I like them on big drums 14, 16 & 18. I changed them out cuz they are on the spent side after a year. I probably will try that Evans combo sometime down the line. I just played for an hour on the Super 2's. Ehhh.. they actually sounded better tonight than they did earlier. I think my ears were a bit flat from all the messin around I did earlier today. They are ok but I don't see anthing super about them. I found that I really had to crank up the bottom heads a lot more than I normally would. So my bottom heads are tight and the tops are medium tight. That's as good as it gets...

By "the heads he chose", I meant the Evans he was using (EC2s). Good point about the Super 2s though...

__________________
Remo, Tama, Ludwig, and Zildjian?
Doesn't get much better than that...

As for the "paper" sound of your TC head on the bass drum, I'm not surprised by that at all. That'd be like using an unmuffled Ambassador as a batter head on the bass drum. Not something I've ever really done or seen done, but I guess it's possible. That's an awfully thin mylar on an awfully big drum under an awful lot of pressure. Try a head specifically designed for bass drums. You'll get a much deeper, fuller sound out of a Superkick III without the plastic-y attack.

I know that Roy or Ron or Chris Brady would be more than happy to talk with you and help you figure out which of their products would have the best chance of getting you the sound you're looking for. They're good people who make good products and, maybe most importantly, who stand behind them and are there for their customers.

--Jim.

I run a Coated Ambassador batter and a Smooth White Ambassador front on my bass drums (which are different length 26's, 28's and a 24). I get a great sound on all of them.
No papery or thin sound at all. I really don't run any "muffling" (no pre-muffled head, blanket inside against the head etc..) either they're just tuned well for the way I play them.

I agree Roy is a super guy, and I'm sure he'd do what it took to make anyone satisfied.

I tried a few different type Aquarian heads recently, and although I liked all of them on the snare, I hated all of them on the tom. They just don't have a sound I like at all, but it's a well made product.

Evans are great products too, but I just like the crispness of Remo heads better, and I haven't had any coating come off a Coated Ambassador ever, or an Emp, but I did have the coating come off of 2 Coated Emps with the top dot. It didn't stick well to those 2 dots. I have used that model for about 4 years without a problem other than those 2, so that's pretty good.